How Mahayuti scripted a comeback in Maharashtra

The massive victory of Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra indicates a tactical course correction post the Lok Sabha debacle, with factors like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's active role in the poll campaign, Ladki Bahin scheme, rise in women voting, and subtle message of Hindutva playing a crucial role.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis show a victory sign during a press conference as the Mahayuti is set to form the government in the state, at Varsha Bungalow in Mumbai on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Apart from the RSS help, the shift of focus to women voters and local leadership are also the big reasons for the landslide performance in the assembly polls.

The huge scale of the rout meant the Maharashtra assembly wouldn't have a leader of the opposition as no party outside the ruling alliance could get the mandatory minimum of 29 seats.

During the poll campaign, slogans like 'batenge toh katenge' (divided we fall) and 'ek hain toh safe hain' (united we are safe) were raised by BJP's top leaders apparently aimed at ensuring the Hindu unity, bolstering the BJP's performance in what was supposed to be a tight contest against MVA, analysts feel.

Just five months ago, the BJP's dismal tally of nine seats dragged down the Mahayuti performance to just 17 in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, which elects 48 MPs.

In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi scored 30 seats.

Poll managers of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and the NCP went down to the drawing board and initiated corrective measures to turn the tide in the assembly polls.

The people's sentiment apparently started changing in Mahayuti's favour when the state budget presented by Deputy CM and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar introduced the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana' offering financial assistance of Rs 1,500 per month to women from financially weaker sections.

This scheme was modelled on the MP government's Ladli Behna Yojana, which is believed to have helped the BJP retain power in the last elections by a massive margin.

The Mahayuti government formally launched the Ladki Bahin scheme in mid-August and organised programmes for its publicity on a large scale.

The growing popularity of the scheme forced the MVA to announce the Mahalaxmi scheme if voted to power, offering Rs 3,000 per month to women.

The Mahayuti countered MVA's poll promise with an assurance to raise the Ladki Bahin allowance to Rs 2,100.

Political analysts said the BJP's micro-management and course correction post the general election results have paid rich dividends in the assembly polls.

Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis raised 'vote jihad' and 'dharmayudh of votes' themes sensing Muslim vote consolidation in MVA's favour which galvanised loyal BJP voters.

Fadnavis latched on to the purported appeal by an Islamic scholar for 'vote jihad' against the Mahayuti government and called for a 'dharmayudh of votes'.

Talking about the Mahayuti's stupendous performance, Fadnavis on Saturday said the mandate was against appeasement politics and reflected the people's trust in PM Narendra Modi's 'ek hain to safe hain' appeal.

Addressing a joint press conference in the evening, CM Eknath Shinde pointed out that the three parties had finalised their seat-sharing amicably.

"We learnt lessons from the Lok Sabha debacle and took corrective steps," Ajit Pawar said.

Senior journalist Prakash Akolkar said the BJP's campaign was powered by RSS which treated the electoral contest as a 'do-or-die battle for the BJP in Maharashtra'.

"The lion's share of this victory goes to the RSS cadres. With the penetration of Hindutva at all levels, including social media, the BJP and RSS made people believe that Hindutva is the main saviour. The 'ek hain to safe hain' agenda and the hatred for Muslims worked," he told PTI.

The massive rout meant the Shiv Sena-UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar will struggle to keep their flocks together, he said.

Shocked by the MVA's debacle, Thackeray termed the people's mandate completely unexpected and incomprehensible.

Senior journalist Jatin Desai said the results were surprising given a palpable sense of 'unrest' among people.

"Whoever has travelled extensively in the state noticed tremendous unrest among people, especially farmers for the agrarian crisis. Didn't the farmers think of their MSP and crop produce before casting their vote?" he asked.

According to journalist Abhay Deshpande, the 'silent wave' in Mahayuti's favour was not sensed by anyone.

"The number of Ladki Bahin beneficiaries stood at 2.35 crore. There were 70 lakh additional votes polled as compared to the Lok Sabha elections, out of which 43 lakh came from women voters," he said.

Similarly, the Mahayuti alliance played the polarisation gamble against the caste consolidation, which was a decisive factor in the MVA factory during Lok Sabha polls, he added.

Congress' in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala also said that the results were unexpected.

Senior BJP leader Madhav Bhandari told PTI that the record-break victory was unexpected and unpredictable.

"It is a matter of pride. Congress showed arrogance after its Lok Sabha election success. But its politics of Muslim appeasement boomeranged and 'ek hain toh safe hain' slogan percolated deeply," he felt.

Senior Congress leader Ratnakar Mahajan said the election result contradicts the public mood.

"There was so much anger against Fadnavis and Shinde. Did the angry voters step out to vote?" he wondered.